Ever since junior Toula Greenawalt can remember, music has been a part of her life. Singing came first, long before performing on stage. Music was never something she had to discover.
“I have loved to sing my whole life,” Greenawalt said. “My dad is a musician, and he would sing me bedtime songs when I was little. I would make my own songs too.”
Greenawalt began playing the saxophone later, joining band in fifth grade. The choice was intentional: she thought it was the most jazzy of all the other instruments offered. While singing always felt natural, the saxophone became another way for her to explore the sound and style she was starting to fall in love with.
When it came time to choose a high school, jazz played a large role in her decision to enter the CHS lottery.
“Jazz is such a draw to Community,” Greenawalt said. “It seemed wrong not to try it.”
Encouragement from Greenawalt’s dad helped, as well as the music she grew up listening to. Ella Fitzgerald shaped her understanding of jazz early on, and singers like Sarah Vaughan and Samara Joy later made everything feel connected. That is when Greenawalt realized how wonderful and exciting jazz can be.
Cécile McLorin, Joni Mitchell, Betty Davis and Fiona Apple are also people who inspire Greenawalt, not just musically but personally. They continue to influence her sound and mindset.
“All the great musicians that came before me are what inspire me every day,” Greenawalt said. “Not just with music, but how to live my life.”
Jazz gives Greenawalt a rare sense of freedom. It allows her to express herself in a space where putting on a different persona feels natural and accepted. When she sings or plays the saxophone, she is no longer restrained by expectations. Because jazz is unpredictable and the students improvise much of the time, you never know exactly what will happen, and for Greenawalt, that is what makes it exciting.
Even when jazz becomes demanding, Greenawalt sticks with it. She credits jazz with giving her patience, confidence and resilience. It teaches her so much about herself and how to live life. Since joining CHS jazz, she has learned to become comfortable making mistakes and to trust that effort leads to growth.
One of Greenawalt’s favorite memories has been performing with her combo at the Ark.
“It feels like everything we have learned, and all the people we have met, come together during that night,” Greenawalt said. “It shows me that any goal can be accomplished if one puts in sufficient work towards it.”
Over time, jazz has changed the way Greenawalt sees herself. When she first joined, she struggled with imposter syndrome and questioned whether she belonged, but those doubts have slowly disappeared. Instead, she now focuses on what she can contribute and learn from each experience. Jazz has helped her become more comfortable making mistakes and trusting the process, teaching her that any goal can be accomplished through dedication and hard work.
Outside of school, music is still a constant in Greenawalt’s life. She sings whenever she can and writes her own songs as an escape from perfection and pressure. She has one goal in life: to continue writing and singing until the day she dies.
